Tubing plug valve



May 19, 1936. c. o. Moss TUBING PLUG VALVE Filed March 2, 1933 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS.

Hy. I

Patented May 19, 1936 PATENT QFFICE TUBING PLUG VALVE Cleveland 0. Moll, Drumrlght, Okla.. assigner of one-half to Richard K. Huey, Tulsa, Okla.

Application March 2. 1933, Serial No. 859,307

sClaiml.

My invention relates to plug valves for tubing, such as are employed in closing the lower end of the tubing while said tubing is being inserted into the well.

In equipping a well for owing the oil or gas therefrom it is customary to insert a tubing down to the lower end of the well to act as a flow line for the fluid under pressure from the producing formation. It is difiicult, however, to insert the tubing into the lower end of the well without danger of the iiuid under pressure being discharged upwardly through the tubing before it has properly been set in position. If the tubing is not closed, it furnishes a convenient outlet for the pressure iluid.

It is an object of this invention to provide a plug valve to be employed at the lower end of the tubing to close the same while the tubing is being inserted downwardly into position.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a valve of this character which can be removed from its seat, closing olf the tubing after the apparatus has been fixed in its desired position.

It is also an object to provide means employed with the plug valve whereby the valve may be closed again or released at will at any point when the tubing is being inserted into or withdrawn from the well or is being moved to a different position.

It is also an object to provide an apparatus of this character in which the valve may be released by simply equalizing the pressure outside and within the tubing. It is also an object of this invention to provide a plug valve for the tubing of a pumping well, which tubing may or may not have the standing valve in place at the lower end of the working barrel and may or may not have a gas anchor attached, to prevent ilow of fluid through the tubing while it is being inserted into or withdrawn fromthe well, or is being moved to a different position.

In the drawing herewith is shown a preferred embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 1 is a central longitudinal section through the lower end of the tubing, disclosing the construction of my device, with the valve control device in releasing position.

Fig. 2 is a similar longitudinal section with the valve control device holding the valve in closed position.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the tubing and casing connections at the upper end of the well.

In the drawing the device is shown as operating withinawellcasinsorliner l. Thlscasingisunderstood as extending upwardly to the surface and as retaining the side walls of the well. The tubing is inserted downwardly in the casing to the desired depth therein, said tubing being shown in the drawing at 2. At the lower end of the 5 tubing is a nipple 3 connected to the tubing by a special coupling 4. Said coupling has an inwardly extending flange i intermediate its ends and on the lower side of said flange is a tapered valve seat 8 to receive the beveled upper end of i0 the valve member l.

'I'he nipple 3 is a downward extension of the tubing. It is formed with a plurality of openings 8 therein to allow the inlet of duid thereto. The lower end of the nipple is equipped with a l5 cap 8, which tends to close the lower end of said nipple but allowing a guide opening l0 therein through which the rod I I may slide.

The rod ll has a polygonal head I2 thereon of smaller diameterthan is the interior of the 20 nipple. It is adapted to engage the lower end of the valve member l while the tubing is being inserted into the well. The lower end of the rod Il extends downwardly below the cap 9 and serves to support a friction spring member I3. There 25 are two spaced nuts il at the lower end between which is a plate l5 on the sides of which are secured, by means of cap screws II, the two leaf springs l1. The upper ends of said leaf springs are secured to an upper plate I8, which is mount- 30 ed slidably upon the rod Il. The two springs Il are bowed outwardly between their ends to frictionally engage the inner wall of the casing or well and tend to resist longitudinal movement of the rod in the casing.

The valve member l is formed with a cupped recess I9 in its lower end into which duid in the well may engage to more positively hold the valve seated.

When the device is employed in practice it is 40 assembled at the lower end of the tubing when the tubing is inserted into the Well. As the tubing is moved downwardly in the casing to the desired level in the well the spring member Il will engage the wall of the casing and tend to 45 hold the rod upwardly in the nipple with the head l2 thereof engaging the lower end of the valve and holding it rmly in its seat. 'Ihis will prevent any fluid from entering the tubing while it is going down to its desired position. When the proper level has been reached where the tubing is to be anchored, the device will be moved slightly below the point at which it is to be anchored and will then be drawn upwardly. Before mov- 55 ing upward, however. the parts will be in the position shown in Fig. 2.

When the upward movement of the tubing takes place the rod will be prevented from following until the head i2 engages within the cap 9. The rod will thus be moved away from the valve so as to allow the valve to move from its seat and the parts will then assume a position approximately as shown in Fig. 1. As the tubing is empty of liquid or gas pressure, the well pressure will tend to hold the valve seated. I contemplate allowing the valve to drop down from its seat by equalizing the pressure outside and inside of the tubing. This will be accomplished at the upper end oi' the well. The usual equipment at the upper end will allow the connection of the upper end of the casing with the upper end of the tubing by a closed circuit so that any pressure that exists in the well will also be exerted into the tubing. This circuit is by way of the line 20, valve 2i, branch line 22, valve 23 to the upper end of the tubing 2. When the pressures outside and inside of the tubing have thus been balanced the valve i will drop downwardly by gravity away from the seat, and fluid from within the well may iow into the tubing. The connection between the casing and the upper end of the tubing is then shut oir through valve 2l and the iluid in the well may ow upwardly due to the gas pressure through the tubing and branch 22, and from the flow line 24. I also contemplate dropping the plug valve from its seat after the rod has been moved away from the plug valve by introducing into the tubing above the plug valve high pressure air or gas irom an extraneous source, or by introducing oil or water, or any combination of oil, water and gas in sumcient amount to overbalance the well pressure below the plug valve.

If it is desired at any time to close the valve and shut off the passage of fluid upwardly through the tubing this may be readily done at any time by simply lowering the tubing so as to telescope over the upper end of the rod Il, thus moving the valve upwardly in the nipple to the seat 6 in the coupling 4 and thus closing oi the entrance of further liquid. When the valve has once been seated the well pressure will tend to hold it seated, even though the tubing is thereafter adjusted to a higher level. The valve may later be removed from its seat-by the balancing of pressure as previously described.

|The advantages of my construction lie in the fact that the well is prevented from blowing out while the tubing is being adjusted to its desired position and further in the fact that the valve may be opened or closed at any time by adjustments such as have been described, thus making it possible for the operator to positively control the passage of iluid under pressure through the tubing at all times.

What I claim as new is:

1. A plug valve including a tubing, a nipple i having perforations toward its upper end, a coupiing connecting said nipple to said tubing, a rod slidable upwardly in said nipple, means to retain said rod in said nipple, a seat inthe lower side of said coupling, an upwardly seating plug adapted to fit said seat, and means on the lower end of said rod positioned to engage in the well outside said tubins and resist the movement of said rod.

2.`A plug valve including a tubing. a nipple having periorations toward its upper end, a coupling connecting said nipple to said tubing, a rod slidable upwardly in said nipple, a tubular nut on the lower end of said nipple through which said rod is slidable, a head on said rod in said nipple, a seat in the lower side of said coupling. an upwardly seating plug adapted to fit said seat, and means on the lower end of said rod positioned to engage in the well outside said tubing and resist the movement of said rod.

3. A device of the character described including a well casing, a tubing extending from the surface downwardly therein, a nipple on said tubing having fluid inlet openings therein, a valve seat at the upper end of said nipple, a valve shaped to t said seat and slidable independently in said nipple, a rod slidable in said nipple and means on said rod engaging said casing tending to resist longitudinal movement of said rod whereby said valve may be supported by said rod while said seat is moved relative thereto.

4. In a device of the character described, a well casing, a tubing therein, a perforated nipple on the lower end thereof, an upwardly closing valve in said nipple, and means slidable in said nipple tending to support said valve in its seat when said tubing is moved downwardly in said casing, and movable from valve-supporting position when said tubing is moved upwardly in said casing.

5. In a device of the character described, a well casing, a tubing therein, a perforated nipple, a coupling connecting said tubing and said nipple, a valve seat on the lower side of said coupling, a downwardly' opening valve in said seat, and means slidable in said nipple tending to support said valve in its seat when said tubing is moved downwardly in said casing, and movable from valve-supporting position when said tubing is moved upwardly in said casing.

6. The combination of a well tubing with a means for opening and closing the lower end thereof; the said means including a valve, a valve seat, a valve lifting member mounted slidably in said tubing below said valve, said valve being closed by said lifting member on the relative downward movement of said seat and means for balancing fluid pressure within and without the tubing.

'7. The combination of a well tubing with a control member on the lower end thereof, said control member including a valve seat on said tubing, an upwardly closing valve below said seat, a valve support below said valve, and means on said support tending to hold the same yieldingly against movement when said valve seat is moved relative thereto.

8. The combination of a well tubing with a control member on the lower end thereof, said control member including a valve seat on said tubing, an upwardly closing valve below said seat, a valve support below said valve, means on said support tending to hold the same yieldingly against movement when said valve seat is moved relative thereto, and means to balance fluid pressure above and below said valve so that it may open when said support is lowered relative to said valve.

CLEVELAND O. MOSS. 

